Conquering Faith- A Father’s Perspective

I am currently re-reading- Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge, with my 16 year old Son, Jordan.  What a priveledge to share this with my son!  It is a great way for father and son to connect and for me to share God’s view of masculinity.  Our world, now more than ever, needs real men to stand up and vanquish the blurred lines of masculinity so prevalent in our society.

As I read Wild at Heart, I am also reading- The Making of a Man of God- by Alan Redpath.   This is a book about the lessons we can learn from the life of David.  These books along with the devotional-Streams in the Desert,  are encouraging me tremendously.  As I walk in faith, trusting God and His perfect timing,  I am finding that “my faith” is being sorely tested and thus refined.  What God says through James regarding faith and patience have been in the forefront of my heart and mind.  My friend Greg, from VA, called me the other day inquiring about how I was doing.  Of course, he has been intimately involved in my journey and was concerned about how I was holding up.   I shared with him my deep desire to be a man of faith.  One who does not waiver, being tossed about by emotions and doubt.  That I would walk in child-like faith, trusting my father and His love for me.  That I would not let the “thief” steal my joy, peace and power.  

 Just last week I was really distraught in my spirit and mind and was wanting a “sign” from the Lord regarding my working with Tim and his foundation.  I was crying out to God and was not experiencing peace and joy and power.  Then the Spirit reminded me of this passage in James.

James 1:3-8

 ³Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

 ⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

 ⁵If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 ⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

 ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

 ⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

The next day, after sharing my desire with Greg for an “unwaivering faith”, we spoke again.  He went on to tell me what a blessing my words were to him.  In fact, he was having the best day he had had in a long while and he had shared my words with others in need of encouragement.  Wow!  What started as  prayer request turned into a blessing for others-  a Word of encouragement!  What can we learn from this? 

1.  It is good for brothers and sisters to come together and share.  We need each other!
2. We need honesty and vulnerability-  Not Posing! No masks allowed!
3. Be open and available to be used of the Lord- Pass it on!  Encourage, edify and show love and compassion.
4. We are all in a war and have an enemy bent on our destruction!  Regardless of how “good” things appear on the surfacc.

During this journey, My Wild Goose Chase, I have become accustomed to what I will call, “the timely words from the Lord”.  As I have been so focused on my faith and its purification of late- here is the devotion from Streams in the Desert from yesterday.

Believing Before Seeing
“The land which I do give them, even the children of Israel” (Joshua 1:2).
God here speaks in the immediate present. It is not something He is going to do, but something He does do, this moment. So faith ever speaks. So God ever gives. So He is meeting you today, in the present moment. This is the test of faith. So long as you are waiting for a thing, hoping for it, looking for it, you are not believing. It may be hope, it may be earnest desire, but it is not faith; for “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The command in regard to believing prayer is the present tense. “When ye pray, believe that ye receive the things that ye desire, and ye shall have them.” Have we come to that moment? Have we met God in His everlasting NOW?  –Joshua, by Simpson
True faith counts on God, and believes before it sees. Naturally, we want some evidence that our petition is granted before we believe; but when we walk by faith we need no other evidence than God’s Word. He has spoken, and according to our faith it shall be done unto us. We shall see because we have believed, and this faith sustains us in the most trying places, when everything around us seems to contradict God’s Word.
The Psalmist says,“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living” (Ps. 27:13). He did not see as yet the Lord’s answer to his prayers, but he believed to see; and this kept him from fainting.
If we have the faith that believes to see, it will keep us from growing discouraged. We shall “laugh at impossibilities,” we shall watch with delight to see how God is going to open up a path through the Red Sea when there is no human way out of our difficulty. It is just in such places of severe testing that our faith grows and strengthens.
Have you been waiting upon God, dear troubled one, during long nights and weary days, and have feared that you were forgotten? Nay, lift up your head, and begin to praise Him even now for the deliverance which is on its way to you.  –Life of Praise
Faith Becomes Sight
“Have faith that whatever you ask for in prayer is already granted you, and you will find that it will be” (Mark 11:24).

 
When my little son was about ten years of age, his grandmother promised him a stamp album for Christmas. Christmas came, but no stamp album, and no word from grandmother. The matter, however, was not mentioned; but when his playmates came to see his Christmas presents, I was astonished, after he had named over this and that as gifts received, to hear him add,
“And a stamp album from grandmother.”
I had heard it several times, when I called him to me, and said, “But, Georgie, you did not get an album from your grandmother. Why do you say so?”
There was a wondering look on his face, as if he thought it strange that I should ask such a question, and he replied, “Well,  mamma, grandma said, so it is the same as.” I could not say a word to check his faith.
A month went by, and nothing was heard from the album. Finally, one day, I said, to test his faith, and really wondering in my heart why the album had not been sent,
“Well, Georgie, I think grandma has forgotten her promise.”
“Oh, no, mamma,” he quickly and firmly said, “she hasn’t.”
I watched the dear, trusting face, which, for a while, looked very sober, as if debating the possibilities I had suggested. Finally a bright light passed over it, and he said,
“Mamma, do you think it would do any good if I should write to her thanking her for the album?”
“I do not know,” I said, “but you might try it.”
A rich spiritual truth began to dawn upon me. In a few minutes a letter was prepared and committed to the mail, and he went off whistling his confidence in his grandma. In just a short time a letter came, saying:
“My dear Georgie: I have not forgotten my promise to you, of an album. I tried to get such a book as you desired, but could not get the sort you wanted; so I sent on to New York. It did not get here till after Christmas, and it was still not right, so I sent for another, and as it has not come as yet, I send you three dollars to get one in Chicago. Your loving grandma.”
“As he read the letter, his face was the face of a victor. “Now, mamma, didn’t I tell you?” came from the depths of a heart that never doubted, that, “against hope, believed in hope” that the stamp album would come. While he was trusting, grandma was working, and in due season faith became sight.
It is so human to want sight when we step out on the promises of God, but our Savior said to Thomas, and to the long roll of doubters who have ever since followed him: “Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.”–Mrs. Rounds

The question I have for you today is… do you have conquering faith that moves mountains?  Do you see your Heavenly Father as David did?

1 Samuel 17

 ³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

 ⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

What “philistine” do you have taunting you today?   Is it robbing you of your peace , joy and power?   Let us remember whom we serve and whose we are-  remembering where are power and victory come from!  That our security is not in “things” or others but the Lord our God- Our Father who art in Heaven.  Remember, as you wake each day that the Lord gives you- that we are in a war and our enemies are afoot.  Knowing your victory is in the Lord and that through His power working in and through you- you can be assured of victory as David was so long ago.  Remember this!  It is not how big your “philistine” is that you should fret about. But,  how small your view and perception is of your God and Father.  This is what you should be afraid of!

Jeremiah 32:27 

²⁷ “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

Jeremiah 31:3 

 ³ The LORD appeared to us in the past, ^[a] saying:
       “I have loved you with an everlasting love;
       I have drawn you with loving-kindness.  

Isaiah 30:18 

 ¹⁸ Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
       he rises to show you compassion.
       For the LORD is a God of justice.
       Blessed are all who wait for him!  

Does God romance us?  Does He pursue us like a man does a woman?  If you had asked me this prior to my “Wild Goose Chase”, I would have said that I wasn’t sure.  As I have had time to reflect on my journey’s, the Counselor- the Holy Spirit- the Wild Goose, has brought this idea to the forefront of my mind and heart.  In the below verses Jesus tells us that His Spirit will “guide you into all truth”.  I think the biggest truth He wants to communicate is that of His love for us!  Satan’s biggest lie, I believe, is that God can’t be trusted.  This lie is a direct assault on His loving nature for God IS Love!  I Corithians 13 communicates it best….

 ⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

 ⁸Love never fails. 

John 16

The Work of the Holy Spirit

 ⁵“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ ⁶Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. ⁷But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt^[a] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; ¹⁰in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ¹¹and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 

 ¹²“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. ¹⁵All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. 

A Prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 3 

 ¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

 ²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. 

The apostle Paul’s prayer to the church at Ephesus ties it all together.  Jesus sent His Spirit to enlighten us to the Heart of God!  To help us comprehend His love for us.  Yes!  He is “drawing us with loving kindness” as the prophet Jeremiah said. 

The thought of God as a romancer was introduced to me by John Eldredge- see Reading List for more info.  The Holy Spirit has taken this concept and run with it!  He has shown me that my journey, My Wild Goose Chase, has really been all about His pursuing and romancing of me.   Just as lovers delight in giving each other demonstrations of their love and affection, God has been showering me with acts of lovingkindness!  The Psalmist says it so well in Psalm 139 

 ¹⁷ How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
       How vast is the sum of them! 

 ¹⁸ Were I to count them,
       they would outnumber the grains of sand.
       When I awake,
       I am still with you. 

David is so aware of God’s love!  So much so that God refers to him as “a man after His own heart”.  This is why it is Satan’s chief desire to attack our hearts and minds- to muddy the waters of the heart with lies about God and His intentions torward us.  That God is holding out on us and can’t be trusted.  No one is exempt from this lie!  We have all bought it at some point and to some extent.  Most of us, I dare say, have bought it hook, line and sinker!  Even the most learned of bible scholars is vulnerable to the “attack on the heart”.  Listen to God’s warning to us….. 

Proverbs 4:23 

 ²³ Above all else, guard your heart,
       for it is the wellspring of life.  

During my time of trials I had taken the bait!  Bought the Lie!  God was distant and mad at me, punishing me for my sins!  His intentions torward me were in question!  God’s love was on trial and the prosecuting attorney- Satan, had made a convincing case-  to my heart!    

Now, I am not one ignorant of God’s word!  I have many years of bible training and study under my belt.  I tell you this not to boast but to stress that even those trained in the scriptures are vulnerable to Satan’s lie and battle for our hearts.  The battle for our perceptions is alive and quite active…

Ephesians 6:12 

¹² Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world.

I Peter 5

⁸Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

 ¹⁰And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

We are given a great example of how to fight  Satan’s lies by Jesus….

Matthew 4:1-11 

Matthew 4

The Temptation of Jesus

 ¹Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. ²After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

 ⁴Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[a]”

 ⁵Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
   ” ‘He will command his angels concerning you,
      and they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[b]”

 ⁷Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[c]”

 ⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

 ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[d]”

 ¹¹Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

As you can see by verse 11, spiritual warfare takes a toll on us and we need Spiritual healing and restoration.  Even Jesus was not exempt but needed angels to restore Him. 

In closing, the battle for our hearts is raging!  Who we listen to will determine the path we take. We are being romanced by two “suitors”,  God- the Father of Life and Satan- the father of lies.  To whom are you giving your heart to?   Are you taken by the love of God or are you “looking for love in all the wrong places”?   The truth is that God’s intentions torward us are good.  He loves us more than we can imagine and He desires to walk in relationship with us everyday.  I love what Jesus said about the truth in the following verse…

John 8:32 

³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Let’s face it- we are living in a world with unparalleled pain, suffering, hopelessness and despair. It is vital for us who claim Christ as our Life to keep in mind that THIS is not what God intended for the “Apple of His Eye”. He intended Paradise but we chose independence. And we are living with the dire results of our choice. But God, in His love, mercy and grace is calling us to recapture the life He intended for us through the New Life in Christ!

The Kingdom of God must come ALIVE in us for the world to be saved- set free from the results of sin. “I have come that they might have life to the full”- this was Jesus’ message to the world and this must be our message as well. If we are truly following Christ- this message will flow from our hearts (Christ in us the Hope of Glory} to the world. We must stop focusing on our differences and must no longer try to “sell” someone on the benefits of becoming a Christian. People do not like to be pressured or sold! Throw aside the biblical sales pitch and live out loud a life of love, serving one another- BEING JESUS- NOT – SELLING JESUS!

As I have carried my “banner of hope and encouragement”, I have been so blessed by the many who have been encouraged by 2 Timothy 1:7- For God has not given us a spirit of fear but a Spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind.

In these trying times we all need encouragement! We need the Truth to combat the lies of the evil one! I have noticed over and again that people are also encouraged by my boldness and commitment- my willingness to take “my time” to share a message of hope. If we who believe need multiple daily reminders of the “Truth that sets us free”, how much more a lost world? If the world has a hope of salvation it will be due to a Church that has come alive. A church living what it believes. Not a defeated and weary bunch who are just “biding their time” until Heaven. Jesus brought “heaven to earth”! He awoke in people what had been lost and buried- a deep desire to live abundantly in relationship with our Creator- How it was meant to be!

John 7
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38-Whoever believes in me, as[c] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him

John 10:10
10-The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

What has the thief stolen from you? What about your joy?, Peace? Hope? Courage? Heart?…………… Have you allowed him to kill and destroy your dreams, relationships, purpose and vision?

Jesus has come to give it back to you! Right where you are! To reclaim, heal, and free you to live with Him a life of power, love and sound mind!-

The Glory of God is man fully Alive! – St. Irenaeus

Come as you are where you are!

In regards to my trip to Memphis… After the game, I still did not have a place to stay. The plans I had made fell through and I was asking God what His plan was. At this point in my journey I am past any concern that He is not in control. His peace was with me as I found a Starbucks to get on the Internet. After restarting a dead computer, I finally got on at 10:45 pm. Please allow me to explain the circumstances. I went outside in search of an outlet but it did not work, meanwhile my computer died. So I moved inside and began the restart process. While waiting, I saw a college student and the thought came to me to ask him if he knew of a Hostel. He quickly replyed that he did. “It’s right around the corner”, he said. So I called and thankfully got a live voice- Meagan, a college student working her way through a Spanish degree. She said, “you caught me just in time, a few more minutes and I would have been closed”. God does not work on our time frame but He does always work. He know our needs before we need them, He wants us to bring them to Him and then Trust Him to provide.

After I got settled I walked down the street and listened to some live music at an Irish pub. Thankfully, it was outside and the evening was pleasant after a very hot day! When I returned to the Hostel I struck up a conversation with Roger from Seattle and Jim and Jenae from….. you guessed it… Denver! Note. Immediately, I felt the urge to share my story with them. We all sat around the kitchen and shared our stories. Great fun and fellowship! Interestingly, Roger is on an exciting journey of his own. He is riding a bicycle cross country with Asheville being his final destination. He is on a quest to find his calling.

After helping in the hostel’s kitchen for breakfast, I went for a nice jog in the Cooper Young area of Memphis- where the Hostel is by the way. After a shower, Meagan strongly suggested I go to Sweetgrass restaurant for lunch. Though warm, I chose to sit outside. After I ordered, two ladies, Heather Wynne and Ann Phillips, joined me on the terrace at the table next to mine. Note: Turns out that the Chef of Sweetgrass trained in Charleston and his menu is filled with Low Country inspired meals!  http://www.sweetgrassmemphis.com/About.html

It turns out that Heather is good friends with Jimmy Sexton’s first wife! – Jimmy is Tim’s agent whom I am seeking to meet with tomorrow!

During the course of conversation we exchanged stories of faith and it turns out these ladies are members at the Church where the Hostel is. Ann also shared that Jimmy’s dad was her dentist! She went on to tell me a wonderful story of how Dr. Sexton was treating her one day and noticed she was unusually stressed. He thoughtfully stopped the procedure and asked her what was bothering her and then lovingly prayed for her. She was so profoundly impacted by his kindness and care! She said, “I will never forget it!”

When Ann got up to pay her bill, Heather had the wisdom and insight to tell me that Jimmy would be blessed to hear the story about his dad! If this is not one of many Divine appointments that God has orchestrated in my life, then there are none!

After driving around downtown Memphis I headed to Starbucks to blog. While blogging, God had Loren Porter sit next to me. Lauren, a mother of three is working on her masters, raising three kids and helping her husband with his inner city church- All Saints Presbyterian. It sure sounds like All Saints is living the Kingdom of God here on earth. I was blessed to hear their story of faith and counter intuitive living for God. An interesting note; they have teamed up with Young Life to do ministry! What and awesome, God idea! http://www.allsaintspres.com/

During my trip I have been purposefully focusing on the truth that I am one of God’s beloved son’s in whom He is well pleased. I am purposing to ask the Spirit to let this truth penetrate my heart- asking God to father me. Recently, God moved me to make a special trip to see my Dad and convey that I know He loves me and that he did right by me. I needed to honor him and let him know and that “we were good”. This has freed me up and hopefully my Dad too! I am free now to seek fathering from my Heavenly Father!

God is good all the time! Peace! Jon

Please cover me with your prayers and pray for Jimmy Sexton and those I will meet at Athletic Resource Management. To God be the Glory!

http://www.sextonsports.com/ssp/the_arm_team